Bottle cap



sept. 15, 1942.- J.p. RANDY 2,295,946 l v BOTTLE CAP I l Filed Nov. 22, 1940 5 Sheets-Seet 1 Sept 1521942. vJ. D. GRANDY y 2,295,94f5

BOTTLE GAP Filed Nov. 22, 1940 :s sheets-sheet 2 sept. 15, 1942. J.' D. @RANDY 2,295,946

l BOTTLE CAP Filed Nov. 22, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I take place. l

Application nnvemberaziiaio. serai no. sanc- 'momma-*wig 21S-4612?,-

Y invention; relates-to' a bottle capfand'lis more particularly jconcerned with "that type 9i cap which isknown-as a."Crown cap, which consists of a circular disk having a depending skirt terminating. inV an.l outwardly ared iiange, the skirt and ange being providedV with crimps or corrugations,"v the flange being bent under the bead on the lip of the bottle for vthe purpose of holding the cap thereto.

In caps of the type mentioned it has universally been necessary to employ various types of opening devices in order' that the crimped skirt may be released from the lip of the bottle, and the present invention-hasfor one of its objects the provision of a'cap of this genera-1 type which may be readily opened by the ngers, and thereby eliminates the necessity of providing the customary opening devices.

An additional object of the present invention is tov provide a cap which may be used in conjunction with the hand or automatic capping machines which are now on .the market without any change therein, and 'it is so designed that no sticking or binding in the capping machine will Anadditional object of the invention is to provide a sectional cap. of the sections of which isI provided with a member thatacts asia handle or tab for the purpose ofremovingtherst section, after which the-second section may be easily removed by the ngers. Another-object or the'invention is to'provide a sectional cap which .variousnieans are p ro- ,videdrforl lockingthe sectiqnstog'ether so'that they'will Iiirily engage; the neck'rof'the bottle andwill withstand any4 pressuresi generatedthe"bottle'.` liu'rtl'rermore,l the'k eonst111ction-.pro--- vides for. means which prevent thesections o f the '.1 A y capv-.fro'mseparatingipriorto 'application to the"- Other objects and advantagesyof the present' inventionwill appear as thedescription'proceeds',

it being understood that modifications may` be resortedto'.withoutzdepartinggfrom the spirit of .s

this inventiongso long as 'they ia1l within theA scope of the appendedclai'ms.'v Y

.Referring to the drawings -formi hereof: A

Figure` :1 is a-plangview of one section of thelcap. Fig. 2 isa. plan view' of fthe companion section.

Fig; 3V isa plan lview of my capin assembledrelation l Fig. 4 is afsectional viewtakenonthe line f of Fig.r 3.

Figsr' and" 6- areviews similar but v55':

f AvBy examinaticnof Fig, B'it the capjn its assembled relation provides twenty/ Showingthe cap'in its'various stages ofl opening. l

light angles to the line 4- 4 and along the line of separation ofthe sections. Q

. Flg.- 8 is afragmentary side elevation'- offa Fig. 12 is a view simuar-to Fig. 1 1 with the cap in-assembled relation.

Fig. 13is' a fragmentary vertical sectional 'view taken through the overlapped portions of Fig, 12. Fig. 14 is a fragmentary horizont-a1 sectional view taken through the overlap' of Fig. 12.

Fig; 15 illustrates an additional modification ofFig.1. w

Fig. 16 is a sectional vView of a complete cap embodying the form shown in Fig. 15 taken at right angles to the lineof separation of the sec7 v tions.

Figs. `17, -18 and invention.; Fi. 20 is 21 is a plan view of Fig. 20.? 1

2z is `aivplanView Vof the lower; sectin f'f of the cap as shown in Fig; 20.

In Figs. Ito '7 I have" illustrated the preferred form VVofi-my invention.` The capi consists'of the y sections land 2 with 'each'section provided `with' a depending skirt extending peripherally around l the circumferenceo'fthe}circu1ar-disks.g I y g In'Fi'g. 1 Vthe depending skirt is'ill'ustrated. at 3 and in 2 the skirt is indicated at 'Y will be` seen 'that one crimpsinthe depending skirt,.but in order to. render the cap'easier(V tofremove itwilllbe'notedl that in Fig. 1 the dependingterminates` at the 'apex ofthe crimps on :opposite 'sides of, thel -Y section I;

l @hatjn there-are' ten crimps and a half rmp at each end.; f Y .s Y

Fig. 2'it Willfbe noted that' there are'only 1 nine crimpsxantl ,twofhalf crin'ips at the. ends. I so thatthe-se'ction 2 doesnoternbiace as mucho 7 of the circumference of the bottlellip a'does` the v section I, and consequently thefsection 2 can be moreeasily removed lthan' tlieL-s'ection 1I.

In' the form `illustrated the section. 2 overlaps the ysection I, as'clearlyseerrin'` Eig; 4.* but itis to 1a are' viewgsimilar to Figs.' 1, 2` and 3 but-.of a furth'erfinodication of my va. `sectionalv iexjxfofaffurther modifv wards each other is precluded.

In order to prevent separation of the two sections in a horizontal plane I provide a series of cuts 9, III and II which extend through both disks, and while I have illustrated in Fig. 3 that there are three of such cuts, it will be understood that any number maybe used and that more than one row of the same may be employed.

The cuts 9, III and II are in alignment with the plane of separation of the two sections so as to facilitate bending of the tab portions I2 of the disk 5 in the removal of the cap.

In additionto the cuts heretofore mentioned it will be observed in Fig. 4 that the metal of both disks adjacent the cuts is elevated as at I3,

I4 and I5, so that the elevated material of the lower disk 6 abuts the cut edge of the material of the upper disk 5 at the point indicated at I 6. This abutting relation also prevents further'collapse oi the sections towards each other, and due to the elevations a tongue and socket lock is provided which prevents separation of the sections in a horizontal plane.

In order that the sections cannot be separated from each other in a vertical direction I find it sometimesnecessary to utilize the cork II for this purpose, it being understood that the frictional contact between the cork and the depending skirts 3 and 4 may be sunicient to` accomplish this, but if it is found that this is not suiicient the cork may be glued at its edges, as indicated at I8, to the section 5, and at I9 to the section 6, so that vertical separation is prevented.

From the description thus far it will be seen that the line of separation of the two sections is at approximately the apex of the opposed crimps. Consequently there is no tendencyfor the cap to spread because the capper exerts its pressure on the apex of each crimp, so that to all intents and purposes the crimped portion of the depending skirt is substantially continuous around the circumference of the disks.

It is to be further noted that in elevating the material of the two disks asat I3; I4 and I5, the metal is stretched or caused 'to flow and not simply bent, so that the` diameter of the cap remains unchanged and retains its truly circular formation.

VReferring to Figs. 5 and 6, the method of removing-the cap is clearly illustrated. To effect this the tab portion I2 of the section 2 is engaged by the ngers and bent to the position as sh'own in Fig. 5, this bending occurring along the line of the cuts 9, I0 and II and the abutment lines of separation of the sections 1 and 8, and further bending into the position as shown in Fig. 6 causes release ofthe section 2 from the bottle. The section I can then be easily removed by the ngers due to the fact that its grip upon the bead of the bottle extends only slightly more than half the circumference of the bead. It is to be noted that due to the fact that the cuts 9, I0

along this line and disengage the locking elevations.

With the form of invention thus far described it is obvious that the sections are overlapped to such an extent that substantially a flat surface is left on the interior of the cap in order that the cork may be readily applied and that no sharp edges are present which would tend to cut into the cork and thereby destroy the sealing action thereof.

As a further modification of the present invention and in order to insure against separation of the sections of the cap, I have shown an additional construction'in Figs. 8, 9 and 10.

In connection with these ilgures it will be understood that in addition to the locking means employed in Figs. 1 to 7, I provide additional is provided a tapered tongue 20 projecting horizontally from the edge of the skirt, it being understood that there will be a correspondingl tongue on the opposite edge of the skirt 4.

The disk 6, which is the lower disk, has a skirt 3 which likewise terminates to one side of the crimp so that as the sections are assembled into the position shown in Fig. 9, the tongue 20 will slip beneath the crimp 2I so that an overlapping relationship is provided, the tongue 20 extending into the apex of the crimp 2| and thereby insuring the cap against separation vertically, and at the same time reinforcing-the cap against separation in the horizontal plane.

I With reference to Figs. 8 and 9, it will be seen that the tongue 20 is carried by the disk 5, which is the uppermost disk, but after the caps are assembled the tongue 20 lies below the skirt 3 which is carried by the lower disk 6. In this manner the cap is held so that there is no tendency of separation in any direction.

With the foregoing arrangement it will be ob vious that the sections of the cap are so interlocked that there is no necessity of depending upon adhesion between the cork and the sections in order to prevent separation, so that in this form the cork may be inserted in the usual manner and the frictional engagement between the cork and the walls thereof relied upon to retain and II are in the same plane as the line of sepathe same within the cap.

Attention is called to the fact that the tongue 20 is located at the lower edge of the depending skirt 4, the purpose being that if a tongue were provided which extended the full height of the depending skirt the extra thickness of metal on the skirt adjacent the bead o1' the bottle will cause the cap to stick in the capper. However, by locating the tongue at the lower edge of the skirt it will be obvious that as the capper forces the skirt around the bead the double thickness of metal will lie beneath the bead and will be bent in under the bead so that it in no way affects the capper, and sticking of the cap therein is eliminated. l

Referring now to Figs. 11 to 14, I have illustrated an additional modication, 'but which is substantally that of the invention shown in Figs. 8 to 10.

In the present modication the depending skirts 3 and 4 terminate in a direction circumferentially of the disks 5 and 6 in the valleys between the in Fig. 8, it will be seen that the tongue 22 is carried by the lowermost disk but that when the sections are in assembled relation the tonguel22 over1aps.\the portion 23 exteriorly thereof, as

shown inFig. 12; and that by reason ofsuch relationship the sections are locked against separa-l tion in avertical direction, although the tongue 22 do'esnot .hold the sections from separation in a horizontal drection. 'It has been'found that in j view ofthe locking means disclosed Vin Fig. 3, it

. 21 -be only of sumcient length and width to enis unnecessary te provide additional means against separation of the sectionsin a horizontal 13, supplemented by the locking tongue f and ldirection, so that the construction ofFlgs. 11 to socket arrangement .of Fig.3, has beenfound to" securely retain the cap on the neck ofthe bottle and nevertheless permits its easy removal.

It will be understood with reference to the form of invention shown inboth Figs. 9 and 1 2 that the ends ofthe vskirt, abut each other similar to the abutting relationship as: shown atl and 8 in Fig.'

3, except that the tongue 20 in Fig. 8` andthe tongue 22 in Fig. 11 overlap a portion of thecompanion section.

In order to facilitate the action of sliding the tongue 20 or the tongue 22 over or under the skirt of its companion section, I may offset the metal of one or the other of the skirt members, as shown in Fig. 14, where the tongue 22 ls-indicated as having been offset a distance equal to the thickness` of the metal, but it is to be under'- stood, of course, that the metal of the portion 23 of the skirt 4 can be depressed and the tongue 22 extended laterally from the skirt in the piane thereof, and that the same results will be accomplished.

As a further modificationof the form shown in l Fig. 1 and in orderl to more securely retain the sections from separation in 'aA verticalzdir'ectioma portion of the diskt may-be cut .away at 6a' s o as to expose more oLtheundersurface-of the. disk v5, as indicated `at 25, and in this case the.

cork l1 is glued along its 'upper face to both the uppermost disk 5 and the lower disk 6. In -all other respects the cap, as shown in Figs.

15'and 16, is the same asthat shown inFlgs. 1v to? inclusive.

Referring to Figs. illustrated still an additional form of my invention. In this form the sameV principle is employed of providing the overlapping disks of V1'1 tc 19 inclusive, there 1s slight modification of the 'form shown in Figs. 1'1 to 19. In this modiflcationthe disk 5 is provided with a plurality of spaced narrow tongues and thel disk 6 is provided with a plurality of raised sockets 2|, said sockets corresponding tothe elevated portions I3, Il and I5 in Figs. 3 and 4.

The tongues 21 should be just long enough to extend beneath the adjacentedges of the sockets in order that thefs'ections will not separate vertically.

lIn the cap mustrsted it is evident the two cutside tongue and socket -locks will rest directly `over the rim of thebottle and would be impacted;

there vas the-cap is applied so that `elevation of the tab of section I would not release the tongues 21.` It is essential.- therefore, that thee tongues win nct'unlcck satisfactorily iftne tonnes 21.

weredepressed outof the plane of the disk l too greatly. It is for this reason that the material of theV sockets 3| is elevated so that the tongues 21 may slide thereunder with little depression thereof.

In Fig. 20 it'wlll be seen that elongated slots 32 are `formed in the section 5 and that the tongues 21projectfrom one side thereof toward the other.: The slots 32' are of such size that as the sections 5 and 6 are assembled as in Fig. 20, the raised sockets 3| exactly fit the slots 32 and close the same.

By such construction, the top ofthe cap is practically flat to receive conventional labels, or other printed matter.

eachv other so as to furnish the required rigidity, and have provided various means for interlocking the sections so that they areheld against separation in any direction. Due to this relationship the upper section can be 4readily manipulated by the fingers.- and consequently the expense and annoyance of using the customary bottle openers is dispensed with, and yet a cap isprovided that vhas been found in actual practice to-serve all the functions of the single piece construction that -is commonly known today.

Having' thus described invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bottle cap comprising two`seetions'., each section comprising a disk and a depending metal, but instead of the locking arrangements K from the plane of the disk 5 so that it projects through the slot 26 and consequentlythe sections of the cap are held against separation eitherver-w` tically or horizontally..

The tongue 21 is formed by cutting the metal of the disk 5 ,along the `lines 28, 29 and 39 and depressing the edge adjacent the cut`29 downwardly out of/ the plane of the Adisk 5. In this form also it will be evident that it is notnecessary to depend upon adhesion between .the cork.

andthe 'sections in order ,that-the sections'ma be held in locked relationship.

`- crimped skirt,- the disks beingvln overlapping re' lation andthe skirts abutting each other to form a continuous skirt varound the circumference of 'the disks, the upper disk being bendable a cut therethrough substantially inline .with the points where the skirts abut and means on Athe other .disk-engagingusaid cut'` to hold the sections together whereby the upper disk may be benty along said line for releasing said disk.

2. A bottle cap comprising two sections, each section -comprising a disk having a vdepending crimped `skirt,.and means for securing the disks irl-,overlapping relation,fsaid 'means comprising a portion bent out of the plane of one disk to form a shoulder and a Iugcf'the other disk e said shoulder, one ofsaid disks being bendable torelease the tongue from the socket.

...1 Figs'.'20,` 21 and 22 there is illustrated ail 3. Abottle cap comprising overlapping disks,

disks and having the metal adjacent the'cut pressed out of the plane of the respective disks.

4. A bottle cap comprising overlapping disks, each disk having a depending skirt thereon provided with crimps, the skirts on the disks abutting to form a continuously extending skirt around the circumference of the disks, and means for preventing separation of the.disks horizontally, said means comprising a plurality of cuts extending through both disks and having the metal adjacent the cuts pressed out of the plane of the respective disks, so that the edge of themetal at the cut on one disk abuts the edge of the metal at the cut of the other disk.

5. A bottle cap comprising overlapping disks,

each disk having a depending skirt thereon provided with crimps, the skirts on the disks abutting to form a continuously extending skirt around the circumference of the disks, and means for preventing separation of the disks horizontally, said means comprising a plurality of cuts extending through bothh disks and having the metal adjacent the cuts pressed out of the plane of the vrespective disks so that the edge of the metal u,at the cut on one disk abuts the edge of the metal at the cut on the other disk, said cuts lying in the plane of separation o'f the skirts.

6. A bottle cap comprising overlapping disks, each disk having a depending skirt thereon terminating in an outwardly directed flange, the flange on the lower disk carrying tongues at each end thereof, said tongues resting on the top of the ends of the anges on the other disk to prevent the lower section from separating from the upper section in a vertical direction.

7. A bottle cap comprising overlapping disks, each disk having a dependingskirt thereon terminating in an outwardly directed flange, the

flange on the lower disk carrying tongues at each end thereof, said tongues resting on the top of the ends of the flanges on the other disk toprevent the lower section from separating from the upper section in a vertical direction, and means on said disks for securing the disks against separation in a horizontal direction.

8. A bottle cap comprising overlapping disks, each disk having a `depending skirt thereon formed with crimps, the skirts on the disks forming a continuous crimped skirt around the circumference of the disks, means to prevent separation of the disks in a horizontal plane, and a cork lying within the crimped skirt and adhesively secured thereto to prevent separation of the disks in a vertical direction.

9. A bottle cap comprising two sections, each section comprising a disk provided with a depending crimped skirt extending partially around the circumference of the disk, said sections being assembled with the disks overlapping and with the ends of the skirts in abutting relation to form -a continuous crimped skirt around the circumference of the disks, one of said skirts having tongues projecting horizontally from the ends thereof and interlocking with the opposed ends of the other skirt, said tongues engaging one face of the skirts and the disk of the tongue carrying section engaging the opposite face of its opposed disk.

10. A bottle cap comprising a pair of superposed disks, each disk having a depending skirt skirts for locking the same together to prevent separation of the disks in a vertical direction, said last named means comprising horizontal tongues extending from the ends of the skirt on one disk and engaging the adjacent ends of the skirt on the other disk. A

I 1 JOHN D. GRANDY. 

